The Attorney General's Office needs nearly two more months to complete its inquiry into the Berkshire Museum art sale. The Berkshire Eagle reports that finishing up an investigation by January 29th would still be dependent on cooperation from the museum in Pittsfield. In a motion filed earlier this week with the state’s appeals court, Healey’s office requested that the month long preliminary injunction that it was granted on November 10th be extended until the last week of January. The issue surrounds the museum's plan to sell Tom's Top 3 for 12/8: AG Says More Time Needed for Art Sale Probe40 works of art from its collection and use the proceeds to cover operational costs and to help pay for a renovation of the museum. Two of those works of art are by Norman Rockwell. The state says its inquiry is based on the attorney general's duty to oversee public charities.

 

18 MONTHS IN JAIL FOR PITTSFIELD MAN AFTER RAID FINDS WEAPONS CACHE

A Pittsfield man whose attorney said was in the "wrong place at the wrong time" has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for having a pair of unsecured shotguns and ammunition in the bedroom of his Pittsfield apartment. The Berkshire Eagle reports that 40 year old Jeremy Paul was arrested in April after police executed a "no-knock" search warrant and entered his Linden Street residence. After entering the bedroom, police discovered a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, with a scope attached, between the bed and the wall; a 20-gauge shotgun; three 12-gauge shotgun shells; four 20-gauge shotgun shells; and a .40-caliber round of ammunition. Paul does not have a license to carry or a firearms identification card. A further search of the residences attic recovered more weapons in a duffel bag. Charges connected to those weapons will be applied to another resident, Fabian Hernandez, who also was arrested. His case remains open.

 

ASSAULT CHARGES DROPPED AFTER PIPELINE PROTEST TANGLE

Assault and battery charges have been dropped against a woman who was arrested after a tangle with a state trooper during an October pipeline protest in the Otis State Forest. The Berkshire Eagle reports that Karla Colon-Aponte was among a group of 14 activists in Southern Berkshire District Court yesterday while a prayer circle finished up outside the packed courthouse. Most were facing trespassing charges. Colon- Aponte however was facing charges of assault and battery on a police officer and disorderly conduct. Judge Paul Vrabel reduced all the charges to a civil infraction with the exception of one whose hearing had to be moved to January 11th because he hadn’t yet obtained a lawyer. All civil responsibility hearings for the other activists were scheduled for January 30th. Meanwhile, the amount paid to Massachusetts State Police for overtime security details in Otis State Forest is approaching the $1 million mark. The Eagle reports that invoices show that Kinder Morgan paid the state police nearly $185,000 for October overtime work at the four-mile Massachusetts stretch of the Connecticut Expansion Project.

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